British Woman Dies After Being Stung By A Wasp At Restaurant In Spain

A British woman has died in Spain after being stung by a wasp and suffering anaphylactic shock. 

The 68-year-old was eating at a Costa Blanca restaurant and despite paramedics performing CPR, she died at the scene at 3pm local time yesterday (Monday 9 May).

The woman was dining at the Hill Top pub in Moraira, just north of popular holiday resort Benidorm.

According to the MailOnline, the woman was a British national but lived in the area. She was with family and friends at the time.

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A Civil Guard spokesman confirmed: “Officers attended the restaurant where the incident occurred after a British woman aged 68 was stung by a wasp. 

“She was being assisted by emergency medical responders on the restaurant terrace when they arrived. 

“She was subsequently transferred to an ambulance where she died after going into cardiac arrest. A doctor certified her dead around 3pm local time.”

MailOnline also reported that a source close to the inquiry said although it appeared the woman went into anaphylactic shock, a forensic expert will need to confirm her cause of death during an autopsy.

A representative for the Hill Top bar told LADbible: "Out of respect for the family we do not want to comment on any details.

"The team at the Hill Top, the Guardia and ambulance crew did all possible. Our condolences go to her family and friends."

On Monday, MailOnline made contact with a woman at the bar via telephone, however she told the outlet: “I'm sorry but we're not allowed to say anything.”

A spokeswoman for an emergency coordination centre in the area confirmed the reports to the paper, saying: “The alarm was raised around 2pm local time. The woman who died had been inside the bar-restaurant where the tragedy occurred.

“She was stung and suffered a severe reaction to the venom in the sting. She went into anaphylactic shock and died at the scene.”

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While the NHS website states that most insect bites and stings ‘are not serious and will get better within a few hours or days’, its information page does list wheezing, a swollen face, vomiting, dizziness and loss of consciousness as reasons for seeking emergency medical attention following a sting. 

It describes anaphylaxis as ‘a severe and potentially life-threatening reaction to a trigger such as an allergy’ and notes insect stings, particularly wasp and bee stings, can be anaphylaxis triggers.

Wasps and bees’ stingers are a self-defence mechanism and contain venom which is a poisonous substance and passed onto humans when they’re stung. 

Anaphylaxis happens when a person’s body goes into shock after being stung, and this normally occurs relatively quickly.